Later, I realized that the mission had to end in a let-down because the real barrier wasn't in the sky but in our knowledge and experience of supersonic flight.

I don't think about life everlasting. If something doesn't have scientific evidence to back it up, I don't believe it. I'm a straight shooter.

I have no regrets about my life. People ask, "If you had to do it all over again, would you do it differently?" No. That's speculation.

What good does it do to be afraid? It doesn't help anything. You better try and figure out what's happening and correct it.

All that I am ... I owe to the Air Force.

There is no kind of ultimate goal to do something twice as good as anyone else can. It's just to do the job as best you can. If it turns out good, fine. If it doesn't, that's the way it goes.

Hey Ridley, that Machometer is acting screwy. It just went off the scale on me.